Christmas Cocktails – Cheers!!

I love the excitement, the childlike spirit of innocence and just about everything that goes along with Christmas.

Hillary Scott

Only two more sleeps until Santa comes! Hurrah!! Don’t forget to put out a mince pie and a brandy for Santa and a couple of carrots for Rudolph before you go to sleep tomorrow! But – before you do that, why not indulge in a few Christmas Cocktails – here’s five ideas to give your Christmas a boozy boost!

Nigella’s Poinsettia!

I came across this recipe a good few years ago in Nigella Lawson’s Christmas Cookbook and it’s become a bit of a favourite all round, beautifully refreshing, dangerously drinkable! It has all the colours and taste a Christmas Cocktail should have!

Ingredients

Makes: 8-9 glasses

1 bottle prosecco (or other fizzy dry wine, chilled)
125 millilitres Cointreau (or Grand Marnier or Triple sec, chilled)
500 millilitres cranberry juice (chilled)

Method

Mix the Prosecco or other fizzy wine with the Cointreau (or Grand Marnier or Triple sec) and cranberry juice in a large pitcher.
Pour into wine glasses or champagne flutes.

Blood Orange Spritz

A variation of everyone’s fav summer tiple with a wintery twist! This refreshing drink is so light and bubbly, made with freshly squeezed blood orange juice, Aperol and prosecco. Perfect for Christmas!

Ingredients

crushed ice
50mls freshly squeezed blood orange juice
75mls Aperol
100mls Prosecco
30mls club soda or blood orange Italian soda
blood orange slices for garnish
optional: frozen fruit for ice cubes

Method

Add the ice to a glass.
Add the blood orange juice.
Pour in the Aperol and Prosecco.
Give a quick stir.
Top with the club soda or blood orange soda.
Drop in a blood orange wedge.

Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan is a pop culture icon that's become a modern classic for good reason: the cocktail is as eye-catching as it is delicious. Depending on the ratio of cranberry juice to vodka, the color can range from the palest blush to bright scarlet!

Ingredients

50mls Vodka
25mls of Cointreau
25mls of Cranberry Juice
25mls of fresh Lime Juice

Method

In cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake all ingredients until chilled.
Strain into coupe glass and serve with lime slice or twist.

Coquito

Get in the holiday spirit with this creamy Puerto Rican rum drink made with a trio of milks including coconut milk (coquito is “little coconut” in Spanish). Sweet and rich with warming spices, it's reminiscent of eggnog—but without the egg!

Ingredients

1 400ml can coconut milk
1 400ml can condensed milk
1 400ml can evaporated milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c. light rum

Method

In blender, puree coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg to combine.
Stir in rum, transfer to bottles or pitcher, and refrigerate overnight or up to 1 month.

Negroni

Originated in Florence in 1919, this bright, Campari-based cocktail became a social media sensation a century later, spawning Negroni week! It’s spirit forward (hello, gin!) with complexity, I love it in the summer but it just has that little bit of spice to warm the cockles!

Ingredients

25mls gin
25mls sweet vermouth
25mls Campari
Orange twist, for serving

Method

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until chilled.
Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice, then squeeze orange twist over top and drop into glass.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

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